On Wednesday, January 14, 2004, at 01:19  PM, Ted Spencer wrote:

> In a very characteristic lapse, I had my program automatically create 
> a file on the desktop (OS 9.2.1) whose name included the results of 
> TIME$, with its colons. Things have gone from bad to worse ever since:
>
> -> All "Open" dialogs in all applications show no possibilities (other 
> than a grayed-out trash) when navigated to the desktop, not even the 
> drive on which the desktop lives, so navigating back away from the 
> desktop is no longer possible.
>
> -> Where did the file with the colons in it go?

Sounds like you did a colon blow of a file name...that's an illegal 
character, because it specifies pathnames.

You need to whack that file.

If you can remember the filename, try running an FB program that 
assumes that the file is there and does a rename of it to something 
generic? (ResEdit a help?)

Amazing problem you have come up with. 5 Stars. :)

>
> It's time for a new hard drive for the old girl: does a plain DOSish 
> ATA drive do the job for an old Beige G3?


I can't speak for a G3, but in my old Quadra 630, which was IDE, I used 
ATA's all the time (Western Digital Caviar), and in my Umax, same 
thing...

There may be a variant of the newer ATA specification controllers that 
your Mac wouldn't like, but you'll most likely be fine with most.

rc

> Ted Spencer
> --
> Einstein On Communications:
> Telegraphy: A cat extends from point A to point B. Pull the cat's tail 
> at A; the cat howls at point B.
> Radio: Same as the telegraph, except without the cat.